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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25351423">The Fourth Seat</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkywalkerCrow/pseuds/SkywalkerCrow'>SkywalkerCrow</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Bleach</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Crack Fic, Gen, One Shot, the eleventh divison</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:21:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,174</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25351423</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkywalkerCrow/pseuds/SkywalkerCrow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Yumichika had intended it to be a quick joke— a little messing with the recruits— but it very quickly got out of hand. And before he knew it Kurosaki Ichigo might as well be the fourth seat of the eleventh division for how many people actually believed it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>168</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Fourth Seat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Why doesn't the eleventh have a fourth seat?” Someone from the eighth Yumichika hadn’t bothered to learn the name of yet asked. </p>
<p>That was always such a bothersome question to answer— and a repetitive one too— no one ever really <em> got it </em>unless they had been a part of the Eleventh divison for a while. </p>
<p>“Oh, haven’t you heard?” Yumichika questioned. </p>
<p>“Heard what?” </p>
<p>“Captain Zaraki finally <em> has </em> a fourth seat.” He falsely stated— and ignored the questionable look he got from Ikkaku. </p>
<p>“What! When?” </p>
<p>“Oh you know that little incident where the Seireitei was invaded?” He began, noting how he held everyone’s attention in the group— they were eating ever he said right up. “Apparently the guy who broke in is a part of our division.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah.” Ikkaku joined in, getting the joke. “You could ask him if you want but…”</p>
<p>But <em> no one </em> wanted to waste Kenpachi Zaraki’s time. </p>
<p>“That does sound like something the eleventh would do…”</p>
<p>“They always get the crazies— no offense.”</p>
<p>Yumichika had intended it to be a quick joke— a little messing with the recruits, and members of other divisions— but it very quickly got out of hand. And before he knew it Kurosaki Ichigo might as well be the fourth seat of the eleventh division for how many people actually believed it. </p>
<p>The people he told in the bar told their friends— and <em> those </em> friends told <em> their </em> friends— then suddenly everyone was talking about it. </p>
<p>That weird vacancy in the eleventh division had been filled, and everyone heard it from the eleventh division themselves. </p>
<hr/>
<p>“Is Ichigo <em> really </em> a member of your division?” Lieutenant Yachiru asked as the pair walked along the street. </p>
<p>Although no one had asked or made mention of it to the Lieutenant directly, she heard the word travel around.</p>
<p>“Kurosaki…” Zaraki repeated, likely reminiscing for a second. “Well, he certainly is the best fighter I’ve ever faced.”</p>
<p>Which was the biggest compliment Zaraki could give someone— and seeing as combat was how members of the eleventh earned their seats, to everyone who happened to be nearby and overheard that was practically a confirmation. </p>
<p>The pair could hardly ever be called quiet, and this conversation was not an exception. <em> Everyone </em> overheard. </p>
<p>“Yay! We should fight him again when he gets back!”</p>
<p>Things spiraled downwards from there. </p>
<hr/>
<p>“Ichigo!” Renji shouted, opening Ichigo’s bedroom window— much to his annoyance and confusion. “Tell me it’s not true!”</p>
<p>“Uh— it isn’t?” </p>
<p>“You don’t even know what it is yet!”</p>
<p>“Then hurry up and tell me, and keep your voice down.”</p>
<p>“Are you really a part of the eleventh division?”</p>
<p>That made him pause for a moment in complete confusion. </p>
<p>“I’m not part of anything in the Gotei thirteen. What the hell made you think that?”</p>
<p>“But you act as this town’s shinigami right? So you have to be?” Renji sounded unsure himself.</p>
<p>“N—no?” He questioned, and wondered for a moment if he was somehow assigned without knowing it and also being a living human being— then realized how ridiculous it was. “Why did you come barging in here saying that?” </p>
<p>“Because everyone’s started saying you're the eleventh division’s fourth seat— they heard it from eleventh members themselves— right from the Captain’s mouth even!”</p>
<p>“The only thing I ever did with the eleventh was beat the hell out of them.”</p>
<p>For a moment Renji was silent— he also still hadn’t climbed all the way into his room and was just leaning against the windowsill.</p>
<p>“But that’s what their whole thing is! In order to get my seat when I was in their division, I beat the guy holding that position!”</p>
<p>“I haven’t even <em> been there </em> since Aizen— I don’t know what’s happening over there never mind taking orders from anyone.”</p>
<p>Besides Urahura that is— and he less gave orders and more made very compelling suggestions and shady deals. </p>
<p>But he wasn’t a part of the soul society anymore, so Ichigo couldn’t even say he sometimes took suggestions from them either. </p>
<p>“So… I guess Captain Zakari was just messing with people again.” Renji settled on, finally relenting. “You’d be a part of the Sixth though— just theoretically— right? If you could choose.”</p>
<p>“Renji…”</p>
<p>“Alright, alright.”</p>
<p>Ichigo hardly knew anything about the divisions— it sounded ridiculous to him that he was so worried over this. All that really mattered to him was that no one tried to take his powers away or execute him or force him to stay in the soul society— things along those lines. </p>
<p>“Did you seriously come all the way over here just to say that?”</p>
<p>“This is a big deal, even if you can’t see that.”</p>
<p>”Well you got your answer.” Ichigo firmly stated. “Now get out of my room, I have a lot of school work to catch up on.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>“There have been rumors recently. About the legitimacy of Kurosaki Ichigo.” Head Captain Yamamoto stated. “No division can make a claim on his placement yet as he is a member of the living world. And <em> no one </em>will hurry up that process.”</p>
<p>The, <em> yet </em> hung in the air. </p>
<p>Because Kurosaki would inevitably belong to Soul Society, eventually— and the head captain made it clear no one was to cause any <em> accidents </em> in his life to make him get here sooner. </p>
<p>A few Captains however, began to make theoretical claims. </p>
<p>“Hmmm— probably should have seen something like this happening eventually.” Kyouraku said. </p>
<p>“All I said was that he was a good fighter.” Zaraki stated. “I never told anyone he was in my squad.”</p>
<p>“That is simply the nature of rumors.” Byakuya stated. “They could have easily stated he would be best suited for the Sixth rather than the Eleventh. He is well acquainted with several of our members already.” </p>
<p>“Well… I was the one who told him he was recognized as Karakura‘ official shinigami— and Karakura town is under my division— I suppose that would mean I would be his captain.” Ukatake recalled. </p>
<p>“The Ninth would do good with Kurosaki. There isn't a better protector for the Seireitei than the guy who was able to infiltrate it.” Hisagi noted. </p>
<p>“This is all quite ridiculous.” Mayuri firmly stated. “Obviously, in this purely <em> hypothetical </em> case Kurosaki Ichigo would belong to the Twelfth division. As more of a test subject and less of a seated member.”</p>
<p>“Ah— you think you can make one of the Eleventh into your personal lab rat?” Kenpachi said in a less than friendly tone. </p>
<p>Things <em> devolved </em> from there. </p>
<p>In the end. It was decided that Ukatake and Kenpachi had the most legitimate claim for Kurosaki being in their division. Kenpachi, being that the method for the eleventh division’s ranks was based purely on combat abilities therefore it wouldn’t matter that he didn't know kido or ever complete shinigami school. Ukatake being that Karakura town was under his division and that was where Kurosaki acted as a shinigami.</p>
<p>Although if they ever were to argue over it— which they didn’t— the clear winner would be Kenpachi. Everyone knew that. </p>
<p>All purely hypothetically, of course. </p>
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